Origins 1-5

I pulled the long jacket of my costume closer as a chilly wind rose up blowing out towards the Bay. A glance at the cloud covers sky supported the weather man's prediction of snow, even if it had yet to fall. Looking like a vagrant be damned, it was too cold out for just a hoodie and that wind was cold enough to feel in your bones.

I looked around the neighborhood that I had chosen to patrol for the night. It was decently clean for Brockton Bay, near the edges of the ABB territory. The streetlights worked, the sidewalks were clear of clutter and trash. Only the occasional bit of graffiti marred signs or a building on the street corner, showing to whom the streets belonged. I wonder if even here, in this neighborhood, the residents were required to pay protection money. If they had to worry about their young women and girls being taken off the street.

Looking down the street I focused on the corner of the roof at the end of the block. Then I was there.

And so was the chilly breeze. I shivered and hoped I wasn't going to catch a cold.

Movement in the distance caught my eye. I focused and teleported to e rooftop on the direction i had seen something.

There! Again, something in the distance. It must be moving on the roof tops as well.

I teleported closer. Reoriented and teleported again. Repeating the process until I got a good look at what I was chasing. Three massive reptilian dogs with four riders. Three of which carried a large duffel bag slung on a strap across their back.

They jumped across the space between roof in an ungainly looking grace. Even once clear across a double lane street to the roofs on the other side.

I teleported again this time ahead of them to get a better look. The dogs loped and jumped by. Something that big had to have weighed a ton or more. I spared a moment to examine the roof where they had landed on one of their jumps. Other than a few scratch marks there was no sign of the massive dog thing landing on the roof. Cape powers are weird so why shouldn't there be giant dogs that don't collapse buildings?

I stood and looked towards the direction they were going and picked the farthest rooftop I could see and then I was there. A twinge in my stomach let me know I was pushing it on the teleporting. Sure I was getting better but it hasn't been long enough for any real effect.

A sharp whistle pierced the air and one of the lizard dogs, riderless, landed on my rooftop with its eyes locked on me. I looked past it to see the other two dogs spread out on separate buildings. I spun and looked for the tallest roof top I could see. Which only happened to be maybe one floor higher than my previous spot but it was a fair distance away. I focused on it and teleported. My stomach twisted again.

With my new vantage I looked back the way I had come to see a very confused looking lizard dog sniffing around where I had been.

A gust of wind picked up behind me almost pushing me a step towards the dog thing.

Must be a hell of a cold front coming in I thought absently.

The lizard dog's head whipped around in my direction and sniffed the air. It had my sent I realized. I would have to go down wind of it if I wanted to get away. I looked further beyond the dogs, how may jumps did I have left before the pain got too bad.

I heard a faint whistle that was quickly swallowed by the wind. The dogs must have heard it too because in unison they converged on a shadowy section of rooftop. Shadows spilled forth consuming the dogs, then the roof, and kept going.

They were going to get away.

But could I really do anything about it? I had teleported too much, too far, and too quickly. If I kept going it wasn't just going to be my stomach twisting with pain. My whole body was going to seize up and then I would make an easy snack for one of the lizard dogs.

My night of heroing was over short and useless as it was. It was time to head home and do some research on these dog things.

Author's Note: I know its a short chapter but I find that writing and posting one scene at a time is much easier with my free time being what it is. So it may be that I post more short chapters like this for a while unless a scene really grabs me. Apologies for those that dislike short chapters (pretty much everyone I bet). I will endeavor to make them a bit longer if I can.